Customer Reviews

Apple iPod 4 GB mini M9435LL/A (Pink) OLD MODEL

5 star:		(306)
4 star:		(90)
3 star:		(46)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(53)

 

 

I have been an iPod evangalist since I first turned on the 5GB. As you may know from my reviews of the 5, 15, 20, and 40GB models, I've owned (or given as gifts) just about every incarnation of this glorious device. So, when Apple announced that it was releasing a dramatically redesigned version of the iPod, I knew right away it would at least be a hit, perhaps even enjoy the almost "cult-like" status of its larger parent.

So I pre-ordered 3 of them; one for each of my sisters and myself. They arrived about a week ago and I'm happy to report that Apple has done it again with the release of the iPod Mini. It totally ROCKS!

There are allot of things I like about this model, but before I get into them A VERY IMPORTANT WARNING TO THOSE THAT PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT:

YOU MUST CHARGE AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE USE!

I, like so many I'm sure, was very eager to "plug and play". I did, without fully charging them, and they experienced all kinds of impossible to resolve errors.

Now, in the event you've already bought one, or simply can't help yourself, there is a little known "reset feature" on the mini that will come in handy whenever you have an issue.

TO RESET THE MINI, PRESS AND HOLD THE MENU AND SELECT BUTTON (the middle round button) FOR SIX SECONDS.

That'll bring your baby back to life.

The colors are awesome (I have the blue, silver, and pink), look very stylish, and will likely show less wear. If you have the patience, consider having Apple engrave them for you (looks very cool).

The sound is excellent. I don't have a testing lab, but I could swear that the sound quality is better; and I'm almost certain that they can play at a higher volume.

Another important improvement is the fact that when skipping forward more than a handful of songs the mini doesn't stall (for a second or two) like it's predecessors.

So, in conclusion, this is a wonderful new player that'll be sure to WOW everyone that owns it, and create envious spectators out of those that don't.

Hope this was helpful.

Christian Hunter
Santa Barbara, CA.

Sure, when you read the specs a 1/2 inch may not seem like it's that much smaller than the original white iPods, but when you hold it in your hand it really does feel Mini.

Obviously the only drawback is the lack of storage (in comparison to the other iPods anyway. 4 gigs is still a lot of space for a device that small). I have about 8 gigs of music, so I need to stick with my 10 gig model for a while, but if they release new Minis with say a 8 or 10 gig hard drive soon, I will definitely sell mine and go for the smaller size.

Not only is the iPod Mini fiendishly small and cool looking, it's also a lot more functional than the "big" iPods in my opinion.

Controls

As you may know, the "big" iPods feature four buttons across the top of the device that control the menu, play/pause, and next/previous tracks. They are also extremely sensitive, and can be pressed on accident just by trying to pick up the unit. It's also easy to press the wrong button when trying to find it by touch with your thumb. There is no click when you press the buttons, they are instead activated as soon as you lightly touch them.

The iPod Mini has the buttons built into the scroll wheel itself due to size constraints (it's really small!), but they also make an audible and "feelable" click when pressed. The scroll wheel is still touch sensitive, but all of the buttons click when you press them. This makes it a ton easier to navigate and use the iPod Mini without looking at it.

The hold switch (on the top of the unit, to keep the buttons from being pressed) is also much easier to use than on the "big" iPod in my opinion. On the big one you have to slide the switch with your fingernail or press down really hard to get it to move because it is almost flush with the surface of the iPod. But the hold switch on the iPod Mini sticks up a little more and has sharper edges, allowing you to easily "catch" the edge of it with your thumb and operate it.

Casing

The case of the iPod Mini is much nicer than it appears in pictures. I was a little unsure about all of the wacky colors when the Mini's were first announced, but when you see it in person it is actually quite nice. (I still don't like the looks of the gold one though!) The back of the case is the same material as the front, so it doesn't scratch and show fingerprints like the shiny chrome backing of the original iPods. Since we ordered directly from Apple, we got free laser engraving on the back as well, which looks like it was done with the same machine that does the etching of the Apple logo and other wording, so it matches perfectly and blends right in with the rest of the design.

Software

As far as I can tell the software for the iPod Mini is exactly the same as the originals. One difference I noticed is that when the iPod is ready to be disconnected from the computer, it shows a big check mark on it saying that it's ok to disconnect it. I don't think the originals had that.

One irritating thing is the reset controls of the Mini though. According to Apple, you have to plug in the iPod to a wall socket in order to reboot it, which seems a little silly. My wife's has gotten stuck once since we've had it, and we couldn't figure out how to reset it. I'm not sure if she ever figured it out or not yet (she's out of town so I could only walk her through it over the phone while she was at the airport). Hopefully the lock-ups will be very infrequent, or we may be calling up Apple to see what the problem is.

Extras

The Mini comes with a nice belt clip, which is easy to slide on and holds the device pretty tightly. You of course still have to be careful not to brush up against something when it's on your belt and scratch the screen or metal casing. It also comes with a Firewire cable, as well as a USB 2.0 cable which most Windows users will use. The original iPods only came with the firewire cables, forcing you to either by a firewire card for your PC, or buy a USB 2.0 cable at an extra cost if you had a Windows machine.

There is also a wall-plug included in the box. You just plug the firewire cord into the little power adapter, and plug it straight into the wall to charge it. You can't plug the USB 2.0 cord into the power adapter to charge it, so if you use that cord to sync to your PC, you'll have to carry the firewire cable as well if you want to charge the iPod without plugging it into a computer.

Value

A lot of people complain that the iPod Mini is too expensive in comparison to the 15 gig model that is only $50 more. This is a valid concern if you have 10 or 15 gigs of music in your collection, but if you are just a casual music listener, or don't mind manually managing the songs on your iPod rather than storing your entire collection on it, the iPod Mini is definitely an option to consider.

The size difference is significant, despite what you may first think after reading the specs on the Apple web site. If possible, look at an iPod Mini in person before saying "Oh, it's just a 1/2" or so smaller than the original iPod, that doesn't matter".

The iPod Mini also comes with more accessories than the 15 gig model, including the USB 2.0 cord, and the belt clip.

Overall this is a completely incredible little device, and is worth every penny of that $250.

Leave it to Apple to make something as incredible as the original iPod look obsolete and "huge" in comparison to the new iPod Minis.

I scoffed at the price of the mini when first announced like
the typical software geek "Why the heck would I buy this thing
when I can get the 15GB iPod for $50 more?". Then I went to the gym
while using my Nike PSA Play 120 with 128MB of flash. I'm tired of wrestling
with the crappy rio music manager software that always crashes, or
windows media player which sometimes will recognize my device
and sometimes won't. I want something that I can use at the gym as well as
use for walking around that is small enough to strap on my arm and fit in my pocket with
my phone.

I purchased this mini yesterday at the new apple store here in
SF (was surprised they had it in stock). The only problem I've
had (thus the reason for only 4 stars) is that it locked up twice
within the first couple of hours. It's been another day and while it hasn't
locked up again I think I'll still take it back and swap it out.
Other users have reported the same problem with the mini so beware.
If you do a google for "ipod mini diagnostic" you can find out how to run diagnostics and checkout
the drive and the disk to make sure all is OK.

At any rate, the quality of this player is very nice all things
considered assuming there isn't an epidemic with the lockups.
I haven't tested how many hours of battery I get but
I've had it on here and there all day today and am halfway
drained as I type this at 9:10 PM. The sound is of decent quality to me at least.
(I listen only to MP3s at 192 or higher bit rate and have a good quality stereo, HK AVR520 and Cambridge
Soundworks Newton Series™ MC300 speakers and P500 Powered
Subwoofer, and headphones (Sony MDR-V700DJ)) This gives a
reference for all you audiophiles out there so you know where
my opinion scales. For small audio buds the sounds is very
good (among the best I've heard, usually I throw the headphones
out that come with any portable).

The user interface is of course the best that can be had in
a portable device and better than the iPod due to the buttons
being integrated with the scroll wheel, meaning you never have
to leave the confines of the wheel searching for the right
button to press. I'll go for a run tomorrow with it to test
out the armband but I don't envision any problems. The
construction is very solid and though it doesn't weigh a whole
lot it feels very solid and of high quality.

ITunes is a great piece of software and you can have it just
pick a bunch of random songs to dump on to your player if you
have more than 4 gigs like I do. I get about 680 songs on the
player with my high bit rate rips. 4 gigs is plenty of room
and won't annoy me to change music every once in awhile.

The best thing about this ipod is how unbelievably small it is. Mine is exactly the size of my business card. It is also VERY thin and light. I understand it has all the features and benefits of full sized ipods with one exception - capacity. It only holds 4GB (really more like 3.5 of actual music). I was able to cram in about 30 CDs - granted these are mostly jazz CDs with lost of 10min+ tracks. The iTunes software is great. The battery lasts about 8 hours if you dont use the backlight too much. I sync with my Win XP PC using USB 2.0 and I can't believe how fast it uploads the songs off of my PC to the ipod. (CD to PC takes a little longer - maybe 3 or 4 min per CD.)

Others have complained that there is an issue with the headphone plug losing its connection with the circuit board over time creating a lot of static and poor sound quality. After a week mine is still fine, but it is something you should know about. Apple is apparently aware of the issue and honors the one yr warranty. If mine has a problem, I will quickly reduce my star rating.

I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the capacity issue. I really wish I was able to get my whole CD collection on it, but I guess I would need the 40GB version to do that.

Anyone considering the Mini should also check out the 15GB version. For fifty bucks more you get more in the box and over three times the storage. You do give up the "coolness factor" of having a mini.

In my box along with the Mini was a USB 2.0 cable (which also charges it from the PC's 2.0 port), a firewire cable, the ipod, a belt clip (useless), earphones w/o remote, and a white square plastic box which can plug into an AC outlet which, when used with the firewire cable, becomes an AC adapter.

Laser engraving is available for about twenty bucks if you order directly from Apple - great if it is a gift.

Since the mini's introduction, people have had a lot to say about it, but actually getting one in your hands and using it is a whole new experience. It feels better in the hand than my 3G iPod, and is roughly the size of my Sony Ericsson T616 phone.

The casing is solid and looks very classy, with an aluminum finish that resists scratches and fingerprints in a way older iPods could only dream of. In the box you only get the basics; a FireWire cable, USB2 cable, earbuds (no remote), belt clip, and power adapter.

The touchwheel is truly a marvel, integrating the solid-state navigation wheel with pushable control points to save space. It makes controlling the mini easier than my 15GB unit, but at times the wheel can be too sensitive and adjust the volume as you're switching tracks.

Even though the mini has a lower screen resolution, it's still very readable, but the album name is now omitted from the Now Playing screen. The backlight is even brighter than my recently purchased 15GB unit!

As is the case with Creative's Muvo2, the iPod mini uses the 4GB Microdrive from Hitachi. Spin-up times are a bit faster with the new drive, so the delays when a song isn't in the buffer are reduced. However, file and song transfer speeds are noticeably slower over both USB and FireWire. The regular 3G iPods walk all over the mini in this respect, and since I use the data storage capabilities of the iPod quite a bit, this is a bit of a bummer.

You won't find a user-replaceable battery on the mini, it's sealed inside like it's big brothers. Apple does offer a battery replacement program for 99 bucks, or you can pick up 2 years of AppleCare for half that. The typical lifetime of a battery is anywhere from 18-32 months, depending on usage and charging habits. I'm sure that third-party vendors will come up with do-it-yourself kits like they have done with older units.

Price-wise, the mini isn't a bad deal considering the drive inside it goes for much more at retail. Compared to other iPods, it's not so great, since an extra 50 bucks will get you almost quadruple the capacity. I'm sure most buying it will be looking at the great form factor and the fact that it's the cheapest iPod though, I bought in for the size and scratch resistance alone.

The iPod mini might not be for everyone, but for those who don't have to have their entire music collections with them or people who want a more compact unit, the mini fits the bill nicely. It's not perfect, but the iPod mini is a pretty compelling product.

I purchased my iPod Mini two days after it was released and I must admit, I am blown away by the functionality and style of Apple's newest creation. Just as a background, I also own a 20 GB third generation iPod, so my comparisons and observations are from a first hand perspective.

So, why on earth did I buy a Mini? Quite simply, I was so impressed with this device that I had to have one. First off, the scroll wheel is vastly improved over the standard iPod. The wheel is still touch sensitive for scrolling, but the functionality of the four buttons has been placed around the wheel and can be clicked. This makes for much easier one handed operation. The screen is razor sharp and the backlighting is awesome. The exterior shell is all aluminum and the screen is recessed in the front of the case. This ipod feels much more durable and resisitant to scratching than my standard iPod. The battery life is also improved. This mini played for nearly 8 hours on the first charge. I typically never get more than 4.5-6 out of my standard iPod. The biggest difference is the form factor of the device (size and the weight). At only 3.6 ounces this iPod can be carried in the pocket without noticing it is there. As small as my standard iPod is, somehow, you always know it is there. The Mini solves this problem. After all, what good is an iPod that holds all of my music, if it is not quite small enough to have with me all the time.

Perhaps one of the coolest parts is the interaction with iTunes. My Library is 7.4 GB, which exceeds the capacity of the Mini. However, when you connect it for the first time, it automatically knows this and creates an "iPod Mini Playlist" that serves as a second library just for my Mini. Just drag and drop from your main library and the songs transfer to the Mini in a snap.

Now, I know what you are all thinking . . . why pay $249 for 4 GB, when you can have 15 GB for only $50 more? The answer is quite simple. In life, purchasing decisions are made with emotion and justified with logic. On paper, there is no disputing the fact that you get far more GB per dollar by going with the standard iPod; and the standard iPod is a terrific piece of equipment. But beyond the logical considerations lies the iPod Mini. The way it feels in your hand, the enhanced functionality of the scroll wheel, the great form factor, and the cool aluminum finish. All of these intangibles create a product that transcends a strict price per GB comparison and makes this iPod worth every penny of its $249 price tag.

The bottom line . . . I have 1050 songs on my Mini with room to spare. I bought the Mini because it puts a smile on my face every time I use it and it is just too darn cool to pass up. I highly recommend this device.

Everyone raves about the iPod and the iPod Mini. Are they really worth the money? Abso-f-lutely. The only question you should be asking yourself is, "Should I get the iPod or the iPod Mini?" I bought the 20GB iPod and used it for 6 months. Then I borrowed my roommate's iPod Mini and used that for a month. I ended up selling my iPod to buy an iPod Mini, and here's why.

It's all about portability. The Mini fits in my pocket so much better than the regular iPod. The Mini with the armband is so much more comfortable than the bigger iPod with the carrying case (Apple does not make an armband for the iPod because it is not practical; third-party armbands are available, but they are not comfortable at all). I find myself taking the Mini with me just about everywhere I go without a second thought; with the regular iPod, I always thought about whether I'll be comfortable carrying it or not.

As for the "limited" 4GB space, I prefer the 4GB to the 20GB. Instead of carrying around every single mp3 that I owned, I only carried around the songs that I wanted to listen to, which made the 4GB iPod Mini much more manageable than the 20GB iPod. If you think carrying around 1000 songs is limiting, then you have bigger issues (see a shrink about that).

From the moment you open the box till the final song you hear, the iPod is an experience unlike any other. When I first got thing, I sat down and opened up what was to be the best 250 bucks i've ever spent. After sliding off the cover and opening the two halves of the cubic box, there is one word on the inside cover, "Enjoy." And thats what I've been doing ever since. This thing is an absolute joy to use!

However, many people complain about the 4gb space and how for only $50 more you can get more than twice the space. However, all of you should stop and take a look at how much space you really are using. 2gigs? 4gigs? 500mb? Come on, only a small percentage of you actually have more than 5gb of music on your computer. And even if you have 50gb of music, will you actually listen to ALL of it before listening to the same song twice? I think not. When I bought this, a friend of mine with a 10gb iPod laughed at me and said, "What a waste of money. You could of gotten so much more space for only a little bit more money." Okay, that is true. But after looking at his iPod, he only had 2GB of music on it! This, I belive, is the truth for most (but not all) the music lovers out there. We need a reality check everyone...

And here it is: 4gb is about 3 days STRAIGHT listening to music. If you happen to listen to all 4gb of music and get tired, simply hook it back up to your computer and get a fresh set of music. Not too difficult, huh? You just saved yourself 50 bucks.

The truth is, if YOU like the iPod mini, then YOU buy it. Who cares if your friends with the regular iPods make fun of you? You know that deep down inside, they really envy your mini. Yours is smaller, lighter, more scratch-resistant, comes with a USB 2.0 cable, has a longer battery (in most cases), and is cheaper. And lets not forget the coolness factor, which simply dominates all other music players on the market today. But whatever model you choose, you can't go wrong with an iPod.

I have had my IPOD Mini (from Circuit City) for about a week and I have to say it is an excellent product. I do have a library that is larger than what the Mini can hold but I only listen to a portion of it often and that portion fits on the Mini perfectly. I started with 128kbps ACC and then tried 96kbps and I could not hear the difference. So now I have 96kbps on the Mini and it holds so many hours of music that you can listen continuously for a couple of weeks (working time).

Here is the first thing every user should do. Download the latest Apple firmware, I think it is 1.1. My IPOD Mini came with 1.0. The update gets rid of many freezing issues.

Apple says a lot of thing canot be done on the IPOD Mini but you can actually do.

To "Nice, But Flawed"

Yes, you can transfer songs from the IPOD Mini to the computer. If you enable disk use then you can use Windows Explorer to see all the songs on the Mini and copy them onto your computer. There are also some freeware letting you do this but they really are not required.

To "Violates first rule of peripherals"

The IPOD Mini works perfectly with the slow (1.1) USB port and that is what I have on my Thinkpad T23 and use. It charges and downloads just fine. However, if you want to load all 3.7GB of song in one shot, it is a bit slow with USB 1.1. I like manual methods so I just drag one playlist at a time and USB 1.1 is fast enough.

Now I do not carry my Pocket PC with me anymore because I have all my contacts loaded onto the Mini. Although I can not make entries in the Mini, this is a great convenience for me.

I gave it a 4 stars becasue there are rooms for improvements. For example, I hear pops and clicks if I tried to adjust volume or fast forward to a partin of a song when a song is being played with EQ on. So I have EQ off now. I think there are two factors to this problem. One is software. Apple may come up with another formware update to solve this. The other is simply what the Mini has in processing power. On your computer you can try to have iTunes open and playing a song. Then you try to open and close other software suxh as browsers, MS Word, etc. You will hear the same pops and clicks when you do that. That is caused by insufficeint processor power to maintain the songs being played smoothly because much of the process power is being used for opening other programs.

The iPoD Mini is the new, smaller, snazzier version of the iPod, for those of you who don't know that already. Its capacity is also considerably smaller.

Hence, the great debate kicks off: what's more important, the aesthetic or the capacity?

Many people are bashing this product because the 15GB iPod costs only $49 more. Why would you pay, they ask, so much for an mp3 player that holds so little? And when larger capacity models are so readily available?

Well, think about a couple of things: how much music do you really listen to on a daily basis? A weekly basis? I've got 40 or 50 gigs of music on my computer, but there are maybe 400 or 500 songs that I actually _like_ and want to listen to on a regular basis. I've got a first generation 5GB player and have never really felt the need to have more capacity because it's so easy to add and remove songs whenever. It's fine if you want to carry your entire music library around with you all the time, like you're going on a long, long trip somewhere, but it's not really necessary.

The second, and most important thing, is how it looks and feels. I just got my hands on one, and it's a pretty neat little thing. It's not actually that much smaller in terms of raw numbers, but it FEELS a whole lot smaller. Like cell phones, minute changes in size become exponentially more noticeable as the products get smaller overall. The Minis are scratch-resistant and the aluminum is nice -- no greasy fingerprints like on the regular iPods. There are also many nice colors and the screen is brighter.

The buttons: I can't stand the touch buttons on the 2nd and 3rd generation iPods. I like my 5GB because you actually push the button and feel it click. For whatever reason, I take pleasure in this. The Mini combines the two -- it has a touch wheel with push buttons under it. In my opinion, this is great. I like the fact that they've brought back push buttons.

Over time, the price will most likely go down and capacity increase. In the meantime, this is a product for people who place importance on how things look. I mean really -- why do people buy little, expensive cars, or cell phones, or designer handbags or whatever? Because they like how they look and feel. I completely understand people who would rather buy a regular iPod but I understand the market for the Minis as well. It's a great product.